Infrared Drying as a Quick Preparation Method for Dried Tangerine Peel.

Mingyue Xu,Jinkai Zheng,Aftab Ahmad,Guifang Tian,Chengying Zhao,Jinfeng Bi,Huijuan Zhang,Hang Xiao

doi:10.1155/2017/6254793

Abstract

To establish the most convenient and effective method to dry tangerine peels, different methods (sun drying, hot-air drying, freeze drying, vacuum drying, and medium- and short-wave infrared drying) were exploited. Our results indicated that medium- and short-wave infrared drying was the best method to preserve nutraceutical components; for example, vitamin C was raised to 6.77 mg/g (D.W.) from 3.39 mg/g (sun drying). Moreover, the drying time can be shortened above 96% compared with sun drying. Importantly, the efficiency of DPPH radical scavenging was enhanced from 26.66% to 55.92%. These findings would provide a reliable and time-saving methodology to produce high-quality dried tangerine peels.

Highlights

Tangerine is the second most important citrus genera, whose specific species is Citrus reticulata [1]
This study systematically investigated the influence of different drying methods on the main compositions of tangerine peels, major functional components, and the antioxidant activity of the dried tangerine peels
It is generally known that the dried tangerine peels have more potential for storage and application than the fresh ones

Summary

Introduction

Tangerine (mandarin) is the second most important citrus genera, whose specific species is Citrus reticulata [1]. The data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations showed that China is the largest producer of tangerines in the world that produced 15.17 million tons of tangerines in 2013. Tangerine is usually consumed as a fresh fruit in China because of its delicious taste and high nutritional components. Tangerine peels are usually treated as agroindustrial waste. They are rich in various nutraceutical components, including essential oils, flavonoids, pectin, and carotenes [2, 3]. The applications of these functional components are mainly focused on cosmetics, foods, dyes, and medicines [3,4,5]

Methods

Results

Conclusion